Project Energize: Targeting childhood obesity

Natalie Parkes is a clinical psychologist at the Waikato District Health Board and works with three others, a medical officer, a dietitian and an activity coordinator, in implementing Bodywise.

Its aim was simple: Get kids active and educate them about healthy foods.And Project Energize has been so successful, it has been implemented not just domestically – in Waikato, Counties Manukau and Northland – it has now crossed the globe to Ireland.The programme began in 2005 as an experiment in Waikato primary schools set up as a ‘randomised control trial’ – with 62 schools participating and another 63 schools used for comparison. It has now expanded to service 242 primary and intermediate schools from Coromandel to Taumaranui.